The Wantagh School District has been granted an additional one-year extension to comply with the state Education Department’s ban on Native American mascots, depictions and names, pushing the deadline to June 30, 2027.
The district previously received an extension in June 2025, pushing its deadline to June 30 of this year.
The district’s board of education sent a letter to the community on Tuesday, Feb. 10, saying it was pleased with the additional extension.
“This ensures that our students will continue to compete and learn under the Warrior name for the upcoming academic years while we continue our advocacy,” the letter said.
The state Board of Regents unanimously voted in April 2023 to ban the use of Native American mascots, team names, logos and depictions. Schools were originally tasked with establishing a new mascot by the end of the 2022-23 school year, but this was later changed to June 2025.
The Wantagh School District, alongside three other school districts, filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s policy. In March 2025, a federal judge ruled in favor of the state’s Board of Regents and dismissed the suit.
The school districts involved were Connetquot, Massapequa, Wantagh and Wyandanch.
The judge said the districts failed to provide enough evidence and that they “lack capacity” to sue under the 14th Amendment and other acts.
The district, which operates with the name “Warriors,” has said it is committed to finding a way to keep its name.
The district is currently pursuing a multi-pronged legal strategy to challenge the mandate, including litigating a case in state court and pursuing a federal appeal of the state’s action, according to the letter.
“Our commitment to preserving the ‘Warrior’ name remains steadfast,” the board said in the letter.
The district has a Mascot Advisory Committee that has weighed potential future actions. John McNamara, the district’s superintendent, previously said an overwhelming majority of community members wanted to keep the name and that the district had sent multiple proposals to the state, dating back to 2023.
The Massapequa School District has taken the spotlight in fighting the mascot ban.
President Donald Trump personally recognized Massapequa in April 2025, as he posted a picture of himself holding a Chiefs T-shirt and saID, “I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School” on social media.
The U.S. Department of Education then launched a probe into the state’s Education Department, saying the Office for Civil Rights would look into whether the state’s threat to withhold funding if the Massapequa School District does not drop its Native American mascot constitutes discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon traveled to Massapequa High School in May 2025, saying an investigation found the state violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and demanding that the state drop its ban.
Members of the Wantagh School District and Board of Education were in attendance for the press conference.
